Circuit-breaker lock



Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN' G. WELLING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

a CIRCUIT-Bamm. Loox.

Application led February 21, 1922. Serial No. 538,399.

To all whom it may concern:v

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. WELmNG,

a citizen of the United States of America,l

and a resident-of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State `of Ohio, have invented particularly locksv for electrical circuits and the like on automobiles, and has for an ob` ject the provision of an improved and novel form of lock adapted for use on-automobiles and the like for cutting out circuits.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this `type wherein an effective. and positive electrical' connection is attained.

These and other objects are obtained by means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of a device shown in Fig. 1the cap being removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 2. j v

Fig. 4 is a view of a key such as may be employed with my device.

My invention comprises a casing 4 having fxedly mounted within it spaced contacts 17 which may be brought into positive electrical connection with one another by means of a reciprocating block 18 carrying conductors 19 adapated to engage various of the contacts.

The casing 4 has an enlarged front end or head and a reduced tail or rear end. The casing is preferably cylindrical in form, the enlarged and reduced portions thereof being substantially concentric. The casing has anaxial bore 5 which is considerably larger in the head of the casing than in the reduced portion thereof. The head of the casing carries a radially extending flange 6 which serves as a seat for a flange 7 mounted on a cap 8 adapted to close theV forward end of the casing. The cap is secured on the casing in any suitable manner such as by means of rivets 9. The cap Y`has. formed in its slots 10 through which the wires 11 may enter the casing. The casing at its forward end is internally screw' threaded as shown at 12, and has a shoulder 13 formed at the forward end of such screw threaded portion. Aexed insulator block 14 is mounted upon the threaded portion of the Acasing and' has a flange 16 which lies-upon the shoulder 13. Contact posts 17 extend thou h the block 14 and each has its forward en 4electrically connected with a wire 11. A reciprocating insulator block 18 is contained within the f enlarged bore in the casing, and carries conductor bars 19 upon that face immediately adjacent the fixed insulator block. The conductor bars are secured upon the reciprocating block in any suitable manner` such as by means of the screws 20, and each con-4 ductor bar is adapted to eect positive electrical connection between the inner ends of two of the contact posts. A composition of leadand solder is mounted over the heads of the screws 20 andl provides a contact face for the inner ends of the contact posts. The

-rear face of the reciprocating block 18 has an axial threaded bore 21 into which the threaded head 22 formedon a rod 23 engages. A flange 15 is formed on the rod 23 and is seated in the enlarged unthreaded rear end of the bore in the reciprocating block. Set screw 24, extending through the flange 15 and engaging in the block 18, precludes `relative rotatory motion lof the block 18 and the rod 23. The reduced portion ofthe casing is developed into a series of concentric steps 25, 26 and 27. The portion 26 is screw threaded and has mounted lbore in the reduced portion of the casing is developed into an, angular form, for example square in crossA section. las shown in Fig. '1, and through which the angular or square end 30 of the rod 23 may be reciprocated longitudinally of itself. An internal shoulder 3 1 is formed in the reduced portion of the casing as substantially the forward end ofthe angular portion of the bore therein. A spring -48 is disposed about the rod 23 and its ends abut the shoulder 31 on l the casing and the flange on the rod 23. The step 27 has formed on its exterior surface, coarse threads 32, which are engaged by the internal threads formed on a nut 33l reciprocally contained within the thimble 28 and having an axial bore 34, intermediate 'the ends of which bore is formed a seat 35 upon which the head 36 of a screw 37 slidably engages. The 'threaded shank 38 of the screw engages in athreaded axial bore 39 in the angular end of the rod 23. Lugs l40 extend from the rear` end of the nut 33 whereby the nut may be rotated by means of a` suitable key 45 which may be inserted between the lugs 40. The rear face 41 of the thimble is ordinarily mountedV on the dash 42 of an automobile and has a suitable slot 43 formed in it through which the key may be inserted. A lug 44 extends from the rear face of the thimble and serves as a stop for the key. The' complementary threads formed on'the 'rod 23 and the nut 33 are of such pitch that the movement of the nut through an arc of about 12() degrees .will cause the rod 23 to be-reciprocated longitudinally of itself or approximately 1/8`of an inch, and the movement of the key thru the remaining 220 degrees before it engages the stop, permits the rod 23 to be solely' under the influence of the spring 48.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When the parts are in the relation shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an electrical contact is made between the posts 46 and 47 through a. conductor bar 19. It is desirable that in installing my device that boththe positive` any type of automobile. When the key isinserted between the lugs 40 on the nut, and the nut is revolubly actuated thereby, the rod 23 is reciprocated longitudinally of itself, such movementA being determined by the direction of movement of the key. This longitudinal movement is effected by virtue ofthe casing and thimble being stationary.' The nut 33 is the only element capable of rotatory motion. When such motion is imparted to the nut, the nut moves longitudinally of the casing and thimble, and as the screw 36 secures the rod 23 upon the nut, the longitudinal movement of the nut is imparted to the rod 23, thereby moving the conductoi` bars 19 either toward or away from the posts 17. The spring 48 is at all times under a very high degree of compression and when the conductor bars are actuated longitudinally of themselves so as to be solely under the influence of the spring, the compressional force of the spring effects a positive and firm contact of the conductor, bars upon the posts which contact is not effected either 'by'the load passing throughv such conductor or by the vibration of the vehicle, the engagement being so firm that there is no wear on the parts of the device.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class describedithecombination of a casing having a bore there-. in, one 'end of the bore being angular, a fixed insulating block in the bore,y contact posts on the block having electrical connectors extending from the casing,a recipro eating insulatingv block in the bore, conductor bars on the reciprocating block adapted to electrically connect the contact posts, a rod\mounted at one of its ends on the reciprocating block slidable longitudinally of itself in the bore, a shoulder onthe casing extending into the bore, a spring the ends of which abut the shoulder and the reciprocating block, an angular head onfthe longitudinal movement of the nut to'fthe rod.

.2. In a device of the class described the combination of a casing having a bore therein, one end of the bore being angular, a fixed insulating b'lock in the bore, contact posts on the block having electrical connectors extending from the casing, a reciprocating/ insulating block in the bore, conductor bars on the reciprocating block .adapted to electrically connect the contact postsfa rod mounted at one of itsends on the reciprocating lblock slidable longitudinally of itself in the bore, a shoulder on the casing extending into the bore, aspring the ends of which abut the shoulder` and the reciprocating block, an angular head on the other end of the rod enga ing reciprocally in the angular bore in t e casingJ screw threads formed on the casing at the end having the angular bore, a. threaded nut adapted to engage the threads on the casing, a connection between the nut and *he rod adapted to permit relative rotatory otion of the nut and the rod and to transmit longi tudinal movement of the nut tothe rod, and a slotted thimble mounted onthe casingand enclosing the nut, the slot in the thimble permitting ready access to the nut for rotation thereof.

3. In a device of theclass described the combination of a casing having a bore therein, one end of the bore 'being angular, a iixed insulating` block in the ore, contact posts on the block having electrical lconnectors extending from the casing, a reciprocating insulating block in the bore, 'conductor bars on the reciprocating block adapted to electrically connect the contact posts, a rod mounted at onel of its ends on the reciprocating block slidable longitudinally of itself in the bore, a shoulder on the casing extendin into the bore, a spring the l ends o which a ut the shoulder and the ret ciprocating block, an angular Vhead on the' other end of the rod engaging reciprocally in the angular bore' in the casing, and rota table means for reciprocating the angular head in its bore.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day of February, 1922.

` JOHN G. WELLING. 

